1.
Salome Alexandra
–
Salome Alexandra or Alexandra of Jerusalem, was one of only two women to rule over Judea. Her personal genealogy is not given by Josephus, rabbinical sources designate the Sage Simeon b. If this is meant literally and is true, she was the daughter of Setah Bar Yossei, Salome Alexandras oldest son by Alexander Jannaeus was Hyrcanus II who fought his younger brother Aristobulus II in the 60s BC over the Jewish High Priesthood. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Alexandra was instrumental in arranging the assassination of her brother-in-law, Antigonus, upon the death of Aristobulus in 103 BCE, Aristobulus widow freed his half-brother, Alexander Jannaeus, who had been held in prison. Alexandra does not seem to have been able to prevent the persecution of that sect by her husband. According to archaeologist Kenneth Atkinson, “There are also passages in the Talmud that say, during her husband’s reign, that she protected Pharisees and hid Pharisees from his wrath. ”Nevertheless, the married life of the royal pair seems to have ended cordially, on his deathbed Alexander entrusted the government, not to his sons. Her next concern was to open negotiations with the leaders of the Pharisees, having been given assurances as to her future policy, they declared themselves ready to give Alexanders remains the obsequies due to a monarch. By this step she avoided any public affront to the dead king and this might have been attended with dangerous results to the Hasmonean dynasty. Alexandra received the reins of government at Jannaeus camp before Ragaba, Alexandra managed to secure assent to a Hasmonean monarchy from the Pharisees, who had suffered intense misery under Alexander and became Judeas ruling class. The Pharisees, who had suffered intense misery under Alexander, now not only a tolerated section of the community. Alexandra installed as high priest her eldest son, Hyrcanus II a man wholly after the heart of the Pharisees and this body had hitherto been, as it were, a house of lords, the members of which belonged to the highest rabbinical court. From this time it became a court for the administration of justice and religious matters. The Sadducees were moved to petition the queen for protection against the ruling party, Alexandra, who desired to avoid all party conflict, removed the Sadducees from Jerusalem, assigning certain fortified towns for their residence. As well, she did not abstain from actual warfare, she sent her son Aristobulus with an army to besiege Damascus, the expedition was reportedly without result. Nevertheless, the last days of her reign were tumultuous and her son Aristobulus endeavored to seize the government, and succeeded her after her death. Rabbinical sources still further magnify the prosperity which Judea enjoyed under Alexandra, the fertility of the soil was so great that the grains of wheat grew as large as kidney beans, oats as large as olives, and lentils as large as gold denarii. The sages collected specimens of these grains and preserved them to future generations the reward of obedience to the Law. Shlomtzion, derived from the name, is sometimes used as a female first name in contemporary Israel

2.
Amyntas Nikator
–
Amyntas Nikator was an Indo-Greek king. His coins have found both in eastern Punjab and Afghanistan, indicating that he ruled a considerable territory. 95–90 BCE, whereas Senior places him c, Amyntas struck bilingual silver coins with a variety of portraits. Some of his coins feature the reverse of fighting Athena typical for Menanders descendants, the epithet Nikator was previously only used on the Bactrian coins of Agathocles, a century before Amyntas reign. His bronzes feature the syncretic deity Zeus-Mithra wearing a cap and Athena standing at rest. Amyntas also minted some spectacular Attic coins, the largest silver coins of Antiquity, double-decadrachms and these huge coins were found on the archeological site of Qunduz in Afghanistan. Some of these coins use his ordinary Zeus reverse, but some of them used Tyche in an identical position, Amyntas is known to have overstruck coins of Heliokles II. Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Seleucid Empire Greco-Buddhism Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire ^ Bopearachchi, De lIndus à lOxus, p129 Tarn, the Greeks in Bactria and India. The Coin Types of the Indo-Greek Kings, 256-54 B. C, De lIndus à lOxus, Archéologie de lAsie Centrale

3.
Amyntas of Galatia
–
Not to be confounded with Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Tectosagii. Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Trocmi was a King of Galatia and he was the son of Brogitarus, king of Galatia, and Adobogiona, daughter of king Deiotarus Philoromaeus. Amyntas seems to have first possessed Lycaonia, where he maintained more than 300 flocks, to this he added the territory of Derbe by the murder of its prince, Antipater of Derbe, the friend of Cicero, and Isaura and Cappadocia by Roman favour. After the death of Deiotarus, he was king of Cappadocia in 37 BC as a client ruler of Mark Anthony. Plutarch enumerates him among the adherents of Mark Antony at Actium and is mentioned as deserting to Octavian, on his death Galatia became a Roman province. Amyntas was the father of Artemidoros of the Trocmi, a Galatian nobleman, who married a princess of the Tectosagi, the daughter of Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Tectosagii. Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, Amyntas, Boston, Head, Barclay, Historia Numorum, Galatia, Settipani, Christian and this article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Smith, William, ed. Amyntas. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology

4.
Antialcidas
–
Antialcidas Nikephoros was a Greek king of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, king of the Eucratid Dynasty, who reigned from his capital at Taxila. Bopearachchi has suggested that he ruled from ca.115 to 95 BCE in the parts of the Indo-Greek realms. Senior places him around 130 to 120 BCE and also in eastern Punjab, senior does however believe that he ruled in tandem with King Lysias. Antialcidas may have been a relative of the Bactrian king Heliocles I, several later kings may have been related to Antialcidas, Heliokles II, Amyntas, Diomedes and Hermaeus all struck coins with similar features. It states that he was a devotee of Vishnu, the Hindu god, a part of the inscriptions says, This Garuda-standard was made by order of the Bhagavata. Otherwise, Antialcidas is also known through his plentiful coins and he issued a number of bilingual Indian silver types, diademed, wearing a helmet with bulls horns or a flat kausia. He also appears throwing a spear, in that case the coin scene would represent a victory of Buddhism. According to other interpretations the elephant was the symbol of the city of Taxila, there is a bronze which features the obverse of Lysias and the reverse of Antialcidas. This was interpreted by Tarn and other scholars as though the two kings might have forged some kind of alliance, but later, a bronze with the opposite arrangement was found. The Indo-Greeks, A. K. Narain, B. R Publications The Decline of the Indo-Greeks, senior & D. MacDonald, the Hellenistic Numismatic Society Coins of Antialcidas More coins of Antialcidas Catalog of the coins of Antialcidas

5.
Antiochus VIII Grypus
–
Antiochus VIII Epiphanes/Callinicus/Philometor, nicknamed Grypus, was crowned as ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom in 125 BC. He was the son of Demetrius II Nicator and Cleopatra Thea, the child Antiochus Epiphanes, who is known from coins, was deposed—but not killed—when Demetrius II was restored in 129 BC. Antiochus Grypus was crowned as a teenager in 125 BC after his mother Cleopatra Thea had killed his elder brother Seleucus V Philometor, ruling jointly with her. After Antiochus defeated usurper Alexander II Zabinas in 123 BC his mother tried to poison him with wine, despite political shortcomings, Grypus was a popular king. His ugly, lazy appearance on coins, together with stories of his lavish banquets, made posterity believe his dynasty was degenerated and decadent. A story of his luxurious parties claims he sent food home with guests who attended banquets, complete with a camel as beast of burden and this should certainly have caused some strain on the already depleted treasury. He married the Ptolemaic princess Tryphaena, but in 116 BC his half-brother and cousin Antiochus IX Cyzicenus returned from exile and a civil war began. Cyzicenus wife, also named Cleopatra, was a sister of Tryphaena and was killed in a dramatic fashion in the temple of Daphne outside Antioch. Cyzicenus eventually killed Tryphaena as revenge, the two brothers then divided Syria between them until Grypus was killed by his minister Heracleon in 96 BC. Laodice and Mithridates son was King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene, list of Syrian monarchs Timeline of Syrian history Antiochus VIII Grypus entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

6.
Antiochus IX Cyzicenus
–
Antiochus IX Eusebes Cyzicenus, ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom, was the son of Antiochus VII Sidetes and Cleopatra Thea. After the death of his mother Cleopatra Thea ca.118 BCE, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus challenged his half-brother, Antiochus VIII Grypus, for power of Syria. Antiochus IX Cyzicenus was first married to Cleopatra IV, who was killed in 112 BC by her sister and rival Syrian Queen Tryphaena. After the death of Grypus and capturing the capital, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus married Cleopatra Selene I and he was killed in battle by the son of Grypus, Seleucus VI Epiphanes in 96 BC. The epithets he took much of his story, Eusebes. After that, he ruled Antioch and its surroundings, fighting endlessly against the four brothers of Seleucus VI, the Nabataeans, list of Syrian monarchs Timeline of Syrian history Antiochus IX Cyzicenus entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

7.
Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
–
Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen was an Armenian king from the Kingdom of Commagene and the most famous king of that kingdom. The ruins of the tomb-sanctuary of Antiochus atop Mount Nemrut in Turkey were named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987, several sandstone bas reliefs discovered at the site contain some of the oldest known images of two figures shaking hands. Antiochus I was the son and probably the child of King Mithridates I Callinicus. Antiochus was half Armenian, a distant member of the Orontid Dynasty, antiochus’ father Mithridates was the son of King of Commagene Sames II Theosebes Dikaios and an unidentified woman. More certain are his dynastic connections to the Diadochi, antiochus’ mother, Laodice VII Thea, was a Greek princess of the Seleucid Empire. Laodice’s father was the Seleucid King Antiochus VIII Grypus, while her mother was a Ptolemaic princess and these five men, the Diadochi successors, had served as generals under Macedonian King, Alexander the Great. Antiochus’ parents had married as part of an alliance between their kingdoms. Little is known of his life and education, aside from its philhellenic aspect, however, it seems that when his father died in 70 BC. Antiochus married Princess Isias Philostorgos of Cappadocia, daughter of King Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia, Antiochus is first mentioned in the ancient sources in 69 BC, when Lucullus campaigned against the Armenian King Tigranes the Great. Antiochus made peace with the general Pompey in 64 BC, when Pompey successfully invaded Syria, Antiochus and Pompey then became allies. Antiochus in 59 BC was granted the toga praetexta and given official recognition from the Roman Senate as an ally to Rome, Antiochus received an ivory sceptre and an embroidered triumphal robe, and he was greeted as king, ally and friend. This recognition was a way of recognising and rewarding the allies to Rome. From his reign onwards, monarchs from Commagene proved to be the most loyal Roman allies, when Marcus Tullius Cicero was Roman governor of Cilicia in 51 BC, Antiochus provided Cicero with intelligence of the movements of the Parthians. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, Antiochus provided troops for Pompey, in 38 BC, a legate of Triumvir Mark Antony, Publius Ventidius Bassus, after campaigning against the Parthians, wanted to attack Antiochus and his kingdom. Antony and Bassus were attracted by Commagenes wealth, yet as they were preparing to march against Commagene and its capital Samosata, Antiochus negotiated a peaceful settlement with them. Antiochus is famous for building the impressive religious sanctuary of Nemrud Dagi or Mount Nemrut, when Antiochus reigned as king he was creating a royal cult for himself and preparing to be worshipped after his death. Antiochus was inspired to create his own cult in the Greek form of the religion Zoroastrianism, Antiochus left many Greek inscriptions revealing many aspects of his religion and explaining his purpose of action. In one inscription, Antiochus directed that his tomb should be built in a high and holy place, remote from people and close to the gods, Antiochus wanted his body to be preserved for eternity

8.
Antiochus XII Dionysus
–
Antiochus XII Dionysus, a ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom who reigned 87–84 BC. Antiochus XII was the son of Antiochus VIII Grypus and Tryphaena to take up the diadem. He succeeded his brother Demetrius III Eucaerus as separatist ruler of the parts of the last remaining Seleucid realms, basically Damascus. Antiochus initially gained support from Ptolemaic forces and was the last Seleucid ruler of any military reputation and he made several raids into the territories of the Jewish Hasmonean kings, and tried to check the rise of the Nabataean Arabs. The Battle of Cana against the latter turned out to be successful, until the young king was caught in a melee. Upon his death, the Syrian army fled and mostly perished in the desert, soon after, the Nabateans conquered Damascus. Antiochus titles - apart from Dionysos - mean respectively Manifest, Father-loving, the last Seleucid kings often used several epithets on their coins. List of Syrian monarchs Timeline of Syrian history Antiochus XII entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

9.
Herod Antipas
–
He is best known today for accounts in the New Testament of his role in events that led to the executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. He was responsible for building projects at Sepphoris and Betharamphtha, named in honor of his patron, the emperor Tiberius, the city later became a center of rabbinic learning. Antipas divorced his first wife Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea, in favour of Herodias, who had formerly been married to his half-brother Herod II. According to the New Testament Gospels, it was John the Baptists condemnation of this arrangement that led Antipas to have him arrested, John was subsequently put to death in Machaerus. Besides provoking his conflict with the Baptiser, the tetrarchs divorce added a grievance to previous disputes with Aretas over territory on the border of Perea and Nabatea. The result was a war that proved disastrous for Antipas, a Roman counter-offensive was ordered by Tiberius, in 39 AD Antipas was accused by his nephew Agrippa I of conspiracy against the new Roman emperor Caligula, who sent him into exile in Gaul. Accompanied there by Herodias, he died at an unknown date, the Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was first brought before Pontius Pilate for trial, since Pilate was the governor of Roman Judea, which encompassed Jerusalem where Jesus was arrested. Pilate initially handed him over to Antipas, in whose territory Jesus had been most active, Antipas was a son of Herod the Great, who had become king of Judea, and Malthace, who was from Samaria. His date of birth is unknown but was before 20 BC, Antipas, his full brother Archelaus and his half-brother Philip were educated in Rome. Antipas was not Herods first choice of heir and that honor fell to Aristobulus and Alexander, Herods sons by the Hasmonean princess Mariamne. During his fatal illness in 4 BC, Herod had yet another change of heart about the succession, Philip was to receive Gaulanitis, Batanaea, Trachonitis and Auranitis. Because of Judeas status as a Roman client kingdom, Herods plans for the succession had to be ratified by Augustus. The three heirs therefore travelled to Rome to make their claims, Antipas arguing he ought to inherit the whole kingdom, Archelaus had, however, to be content with the title of ethnarch rather than king. Whereas Archelaus was deemed incompetent by Augustus and replaced with a prefect in 6 AD, Antipas would govern Galilee and these territories were separated by the region of the Decapolis, with Galilee to the north and Perea to the south. Threats to stability in both areas would have been clear to Antipas when he took office, in a counterattack ordered by Quinctilius Varus, Roman governor of Syria, Sepphoris was destroyed by fire and its inhabitants sold as slaves. Perea, meanwhile, bordered on the kingdom of Nabatea, which had long had relations with Romans. Part of Antipas solution was to follow in his fathers footsteps as a builder and he rebuilt and fortified Sepphoris, while also adding a wall to Betharamphtha in Perea. The latter city was renamed Livias after Augustus wife Livia, residents could bathe nearby at the warm springs of Emmaus, and by the time of the First Jewish-Roman War the citys own buildings included a stadium, a royal palace and a sanctuary for prayer

10.
Apollodotus II
–
Apollodotus II was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab. Apollodotos II was an important ruler who seems to have re-established the Indo-Greek kingdom to some extent of its former glory, Taxila in western Punjab was reconquered from nomad Scythian rule, and according to Bopearachchi, eastern territory was taken back from Indian kingdoms. Apollodotus II seems to have been a member of the dynasty of Menander I, since he used their typical deity Athena Alkidemos on most of his silver, on some coins, he also calls himself Philopator, which proves that his father had been king before him. R C Senior guesses that Amyntas or Epander could have been his father, Apollodotus reign possibly began in the Punjab, when the Scythian king Maues ruled in Gandhara and its capital Taxila. The late Indo-Greeks may have been mixed with both Indians and Scythians. R C Senior suggests that Apollodotus had struck an alliance with another Scythian king, Azes I. The Scythian hold of Gandhara loosened after the death of Maues and these kings posed no threat to Apollodotus II, who on some of his coins assumed the title Basileus Megas, in echo of Maues boastful title Great King of Kings. After the death of Apollodotus II, the Indo-Greek kingdom fragmented once more, Apollodotus II issued a large number of coins. He struck bronzes with Apollo/tripod, an introduced by his namesake Apollodotus I. The coins of Apollodotus II are of different qualities, some still have the realistic portraits characteristic of the earlier Indo-Greek coins, and Bopearachchi attributes these series to the western part of his kingdom. On some of his coins there are both extra monograms in shape of Kharosthi letters and these monograms are interpreted, which was suggested already by W. W. Tarn, to have belonged to officials with Indian names, the coins therefore indicate that Apollodotus II relied more on his Indian subjects than earlier kings, and also opened new mints in eastern Punjab where Greek presence was scarce. Apollodotus II overstruck a bronze of Maues, zoilos II overstruck some of the coins of Apollodotus II, as did Azes I. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley ISBN 1-58115-203-5 The Greeks in Bactria and India, coins of Apollodotus II More coins of Apollodotus II

11.
Apollophanes
–
Apollophanes Soter was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern and central Punjab in modern India and Pakistan. Little is known about him, except for some of his remaining coins, the dating is Osmund Bopearachchis, but R. C. Senior suggests approximately the same dates, earlier scholars, such as Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani, W. W. He may have been a relative of Apollodotus II Soter since both share the epithet Soter, have names related to Apollo and use Pallas Athene as their reverse. Apollophanes issued a few debased silver drachms of the type seen above, struck with a single monogram and he seems to have been an insignificant local ruler. Apollophanes wears what appears to be a Macedonian helmet of the type seen on the Alexander Mosaic which he was the last Indo-Greek ruler to use, apollophanes used exclusively a single boxy mint-mark, which he had in coming with late Indo-Greek kings. Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Seleucid Empire Greco-Buddhism Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire The Greeks in Bactria and India, the Bactrian and Indus Greeks, Ahmed Hasan Dani, Lahore Museum The Indo-Greeks - Revisited and Supplemented, A. K. Narain, BR Publishing Corporation Monnaies Gréco-Bactriennes et Indo-Grecques, Osmund Bopearachchi, Bibliothèque Nationale de France

12.
Archebius
–
Archebius Dikaios Nikephoros was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the area of Taxila. Osmund Bopearachchi dates him to c, senior to about the same period. He was probably one of the last Indo-Greek kings before the Saka king Maues conquered Taxila, and he may have been a relative of Heliokles II, who used a similar reverse and also the title Dikaios. Archebius issued silver with diademed or helmeted king, sometimes in spear-throwing pose, on the reverse is Zeus standing facing, holding a thunderbolt or on some issues an aegis. Archebius also struck a series of Attic tetradrachms, found in Bactria. He issued bronzes with an owl / Nike, Archebius overstruck two coins of Peukolaos. Coins of Archebius More Coins of Archebios

13.
Archelaus of Cappadocia
–
Archelaus was a Roman client prince and the last king of Cappadocia. Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent and his full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. Archelaus’ father served as the High Priest of the Roman Goddess of War, Archelaus had a brother called Sisines. The paternal grandfather of Archelaus, also known as Archelaus, was the first in his family to be High Priest and Roman Client Ruler of the state of Comana. His paternal grandfather claimed to be descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus and his father was replaced by another Greek nobleman called Lycomedes. Pompey was their patron and it was he that appointed his paternal grandfather as High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana. Years later the mother of Archelaus, Glaphyra, became one of the mistresses to the Roman Triumvir Mark Antony, Glaphyra was a Hetaera, or courtesan. His mother was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm, through their affair, Glaphyra had influenced and induced Antony to designate and install her son Archelaus as king of Cappadocia. In 36 BC, Antony removed from his throne and then executed the former Cappadocian King Ariarathes X and his mother appeared to be a powerful lady at the Royal Court and was involved with internal politics in Cappadocia. After Archelaus assumed the Cappadocian throne, his title was in Greek, Ἀρχέλαος Φιλοπατρίς Κτίστης. Philopatris Ktistes, means in Greek lover and founder of his country and his royal title is known from surviving inscriptions, in particular from coinage. In his early reign Archelaus married his first wife, whom through her marriage to him became Queen of Cappadocia, the identity of an earlier wife or wives has not been recorded. His first wife was an unnamed Princess from Armenia, who died by 8 BC, there is a possibility that his first wife may have been a distant relative of his. His first wife may have been a daughter of King Artavasdes II of Armenia of the Artaxiad Dynasty, Artavasdes II was the father of the future Armenian Kings Artaxias II and Tigranes III. With his first wife, Archelaus had two children, a daughter called Glaphyra through whom he had descendants, and a son called Archelaus of Cilicia. Archelaus was an ally to Antony, until his defeat at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, before Archelaus became an ally to Octavian, he was Antony’s beneficiary. By Archelaus making peace with Octavian, he was able to retain his crown, when Octavian became the first Roman Emperor Augustus, Archelaus became an important client monarch to Rome

14.
Herod Archelaus
–
He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the Samaritan, and was the brother of Herod Antipas, and the half-brother of Herod Philip I. Archelaus came to power after the death of his father Herod the Great in 4 BC, Josephus writes that Herod the Great was in Jericho at the time of his death. Just prior to his trip to Jericho, he was deeply involved in a religious conflagration. Herod had placed an eagle over the Temple entrance which was perceived as blasphemous. The eagle was chopped down with axes, two teachers and approximately 40 other youths were arrested for this act and immolated. Herod defended his works and offered an attack on his predecessors, Herod killed all male lineal successors of the Hasmoneans. The Pharisees had long attacked the Hasmoneans as well, as having parentage from Greeks while under bondage and this racial slur was repeated by the Pharisees through the rule of Alexander Jannaeus and Queen Salome. With this explicit background given, Josephus began an exposition of the days of Archelaus reign before Passover of 4 BC. The demeanor of the questioning appeared to turn at some point, and the crowd began to call for the punishment of those of Herods people who ordered the death of the 2 teachers and the 40 youths. They also demanded the replacement of the High Priest, from the appointed High Priest of Herods to a High Priest. of greater piety and purity, Josephus does not tell who would be. of greater piety and purity. To this request, however, Archelaus acceded, although he was becoming angry at the presumptions of the crowds. Archelaus asked for moderation and told the crowds that all would be if they would put aside their animosities. Archelaus then left to feast with his friends and it was evening and as the darkness settled, a mourning and wailing begin over the city. Archelaus began to worry as people begin streaming into the Temple area, the people were escalating in their threatening behavior. The Thackeray translation of Josephus here states it thus, The promoters of the mourning for the doctors stood in the body of the temple, Josephus does not tell us who these promoters of the mourning, who recruit from within a body inside the Temple, could be. Those who came from Archelaus were stoned, with many killed, after the stoning, those who stoned the soldiers returned to their sacrifices, as if nothing had happened. Josephus does not tell who performed the sacrifices in the Temple and it was after midnight, and Archelaus suddenly ordered the entire army into the city to the Temple. Josephus records the death toll at 3000, Archelaus sent heralds around the city announcing the cancellation of Passover

15.
Aretas IV Philopatris
–
Aretas IV Philopatris was the King of the Nabataeans from roughly 9 BCE to CE40. Aretas came to power after the assassination of Obodas III, who was apparently poisoned, josephus says that he was originally named Aeneas, but took Aretas as his throne name. An inscription from Petra suggests that he may have been a member of the royal family and his full title, as given in the inscriptions, was Aretas, King of the Nabataeans, Friend of his People. Being the most powerful neighbour of Judea, he took part in the state affairs of that country. The first was Huldu to whom he was married when he became king. Her profile was featured on Nabataean coins until CE16, after a gap of a few years the face of his second wife, Shaqilath, began appearing on the coins. His daughter Phasaelis married Herod Antipas, otherwise known as Herod the Tetrarch, when Phasaelis discovered Herod intended to divorce her in order to take his brother Philips wife Herodias, mother of Salome, some time before the death of Philip 33/34 CE, she fled to her father. Aretas IV invaded Herods holdings and defeated his army, partly because soldiers from Philips tetrarchy changed sides. Josephus, the source for events, says that some Jews attributed the defeat of Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas then appealed to Emperor Tiberius, who dispatched Lucius Vitellius the Elder the governor of Syria to attack Aretas, Vitellius mustered his legions and moved southward, stopping in Jerusalem for the passover of CE37, when news of the emperors death arrived. The invasion of Nabataea was never completed, the Christian Apostle, Paul, mentions that he had to sneak out of Damascus in a basket through a window in the wall to escape the ethnarch of King Aretas. Aretas IV died in CE40 and was succeeded by his son Malichus II, List of rulers of Nabatea List of rulers of Nabatea This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Singer, Isidore, et al. eds. New York, Funk & Wagnalls Company

16.
Aretas III
–
Aretas III /ˈærᵻtəs/ was king of the Nabataean kingdom from 87 to 62 BCE. Aretas ascended to the throne upon the death of his brother, Obodas I, during his reign, he extended his kingdom to cover what now forms the northern area of Jordan, the south of Syria, and part of Saudi Arabia. Probably the greatest of Aretas conquests was that of Damascus, which secured his countrys place as a political power of its time. Nabataea reached its greatest territorial extent under Aretas leadership, Damascus straddled the primary commercial route from the Mediterranean Sea to India and the Middle East. In taking the city from the grip of the Seleucid Empire in 85 BCE. In an attempt to cover his nomadic background, Aretas styled himself Aretas III Philhellen and he ordered the mints of Damascus to produce the first silver Nabataean coins, in a Hellenic style and lettering his name in the Greek language instead of Nabatean Aramaic.8 km aqueduct. Nabataean rule of Damascus was interrupted in 72 BCE by a siege led by the Armenian king Tigranes II. Armenian rule of the city ended in 69 BCE when Tigranes forces were pulled out to deal with a Roman attack on the Armenian capital, in 67 BCE, Hyrcanus II ascended to the throne of Judea. Scarcely three months later, his younger brother Aristobulus II incited a rebellion, successfully leading the uprising to overthrow Hyrcanus, Hyrcanus was confined to Jerusalem, where he would continue to receive revenues of the latter office. Aretas advanced towards Jerusalem at the head of 50,000 men, eventually, Aristobulus bribed Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, deputy of the Roman general Pompey. Scaurus ordered Aretas to withdraw his army, which suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Aristobulus on the journey back to Nabatea. Despite the compliance of Aretas, in 62 BCE Scaurus marched on Petra, however, a combination of the rough terrain and low supplies, obliged Scaurus to seek the aid of Hyrcanus, now High Priest of Judea, who sent Antipater to barter for peace with Aretas. The siege was lifted in exchange for several hundred talents of silver, Aretas would retain all Nabataean territory and possessions, becoming a vassal of the Roman Empire. List of rulers of Nabatea List of rulers of Nabatea

17.
Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia
–
Ariobarzanes I, named Philoromaios, was the king of Cappadocia from 95 BC to c.63 BC–62 BC. Ariobarzanes I was a Cappadocian nobleman of obscure origins who was of Persian descent and he eventually abdicated, making way for the rule of his son Ariobarzanes II of Cappadocia in c.63 BC–62 BC. Ariobarzanes I married a Greek woman, whom he had as his queen a noblewoman called Athenais Philostorgos I, Athenais bore Ariobarzanes I two children, a son, Ariobarzanes II who succeeded him and a daughter, Isias Philostorgos who married the King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene

18.
Artavasdes II of Armenia
–
Artavasdes II was a King of the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 BC until 34 BC and a member of the Artaxiad Dynasty. He succeeded his father, Tigranes the Great, also known as Tigranes II and he gave his sister in marriage to Orodes son and heir Pacorus. In 36 BC the Roman General Mark Antony invaded Armenia and Artavasdes II again switched sides, in 34 BC Antony planned a new invasion of Armenia. First he sent his friend Quintus Dellius, who offered a betrothal of Antonys six-year-old son Alexander Helios to a daughter of Artavasdes II, now the triumvir marched into the Roman western Armenia. He summoned Artavasdes II to Nicopolis, allegedly to prepare a new war against Parthia, Artavasdes II didnt come, so the Roman general quickly marched to the Armenian capital Artaxata. He arrested the king, hoping that with his hostages assistance to obtain great treasures in the Armenian castles and his son Artaxias II was elected as successor. After a lost battle Artaxias II fled to the Parthian king, finally Antony took Artavasdes II to Alexandria. The Armenian king and his family, who were bound with chains, had to follow Antony in his triumphal procession. Cleopatra VII of Egypt awaited the triumvir on a golden throne, after the Battle of Actium 31 BC, the Armenian king was executed by beheading at the behest of Cleopatra. In the past he had been an enemy of his namesake, King Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene and she sent his head to Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene to secure his help. Plutarch describes Artavasdes II as a man, who had a great fondness for all things Greek and was an accomplished scholar who composed Greek tragedies and histories. From an unnamed wife, he was survived by two sons, Artaxias II, Tigranes III and a daughter who possibly married King Archelaus of Cappadocia. Plutarch, Life of Crassus This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh. Swan, The Augustan Succession, An Historical Commentary on Cassius Dio’s Roman History, Books 55-56, Oxford University Press,2004 Prantl, H. Artavasdes II. - Freund oder Feind der Römer. in A. Coşkun, Freundschaft und Gefolgschaft in den auswärtigen Beziehungen der Römer, 91-108 M. Bunsen, Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, Infobase Printing,2009

19.
Antiochus XIII Asiaticus
–
Antiochus XIII Philadelphus, known as Asiaticus was one of the last rulers of the Macedonian Seleucid kingdom. He was son of king Antiochus X Eusebes and the Ptolemaic princess Cleopatra Selene I, some time after Tigranes had conquered Syria, she traveled to Rome to have her sons recognized as kings of Egypt, but to no avail. They were there between at least between 75 BC and 73 BC, recognized as Kings of Syria, and maintained a royal state, in 64 BC, Pompey had him deposed and killed by a Syrian chieftain, Sampsiceramus I. Antiochus death is said to have ended the Seleucid dynasty

20.
Azilises
–
Azilises was an Indo-Scythian king who ruled in the area of Gandhara. Azilises issued some joint coins with Azes, where Azes is presented as king on the obverse, yuezhi Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Indo-Greek Kingdom Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley ISBN 1-58115-203-5 The Greeks in Bactria and India, W. W

21.
Demetrius III Aniketos
–
Demetrius III Aniketos is an Indo-Greek king who reigned in the area of Gandhara and Punjab. The coins of Demetrius III are few and rather crude and he copies some of his imagery from the renowned Bactrian king Demetrius I. The two namesakes share the war-like epithet The Invincible and wear elephant-crowns, the symbol that Alexander the Great used to celebrate his conquest of the Indus Valley. The historical sources of the Indo-Greek kingdom are very few, numismatician Osmund Bopearachchi identifies three kings named Demetrius, placing the third around 100 BCE due to mintmarks and style of the coins. R C Senior agrees with this reconstruction, even though their dates are different, according to Bopearachchi he ruled around 100 BCE. Senior places him circa 70 BCE, in cases as successor of Heliokles II. This Demetrius is said to have fought with the Bactrian king Eucratides during the part of Eucratides rule. Bopearachchi nevertheless identifies Justins Demetrius with the king Demetrius II even though he only struck Greek coins, in addition, Bopearachchis early dating of Demetrius II has been challenged (see discussion under Demetrius II. Yet other authors have identified Justins Demetrius with Demetrius I of Bactria, earlier authors such as Tarn and Narain thought that the Demetrius who struck the coins now identified with Demetrius III was the king who fought Eucratides, and saw him as a son of Demetrius I. If Demetrius III ruled around 100 or 70 BCE, he seems to have been a relative of Heliokles II, though his title, if he ruled around 150 BCE, he was very likely a surviving Euthydemid prince like Tarn and Narain assumed. The actual coins of Demetrius III are very few and struck with a single and this suggests a short and insignificant reign. On his silver, Demetrius III appears in the hat or diademed. His bronzes feature a king in elephants crown, either Demetrius III or Demetrius I, with thunderbolt on the reverse

22.
Diomedes Soter
–
Diomedes Soter was an Indo-Greek king. The places where his coins have been found seem to indicate that his rule was based in the area of the Paropamisadae, Diomedes depicted the Dioscurion his coins, either on horseback or standing, both types were previously used by Eucratides I. It is however uncertain how the two were related, since Eucratides I died long before Diomedes, Diomedes minted both Attic-type coins, and bilingual coins, indicating that he was ruling in the western part of the Indo-Greek territory. One overstrike is known, of a coin of Strato and Agathokleia over a coin of Diomedes and this overstrike could indicate that Diomedes fought over the central areas of the Indo-Greek territories with Strato and Agathokleia. Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Greco-Buddhism Indo-Parthian Kingdom Indo-Scythians Kushan Empire Seleucid Empire Tarn, the Greeks in Bactria and India. De lIndus à lOxus, Archéologie de lAsie Centrale, coins of Diomedes Other coins of Diomedes Le roi Diomède

Salome Alexandra
–
Salome Alexandra or Alexandra of Jerusalem, was one of only two women to rule over Judea. Her personal genealogy is not given by Josephus, rabbinical sources designate the Sage Simeon b. If this is meant literally and is true, she was the daughter of Setah Bar Yossei, Salome Alexandras oldest son by Alexander Jannaeus was Hyrcanus II who fought his

Amyntas Nikator
–
Amyntas Nikator was an Indo-Greek king. His coins have found both in eastern Punjab and Afghanistan, indicating that he ruled a considerable territory. 95–90 BCE, whereas Senior places him c, Amyntas struck bilingual silver coins with a variety of portraits. Some of his coins feature the reverse of fighting Athena typical for Menanders descendants,

1.
Coin of Amyntas Nikator. Obv: Bust of king. Rev: Seated Zeus.

Amyntas of Galatia
–
Not to be confounded with Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Tectosagii. Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Trocmi was a King of Galatia and he was the son of Brogitarus, king of Galatia, and Adobogiona, daughter of king Deiotarus Philoromaeus. Amyntas seems to have first possessed Lycaonia, where he maintained more than 300 flocks, to this he added the territory of D

1.
A Galatian coin depicting Amyntas

Antialcidas
–
Antialcidas Nikephoros was a Greek king of the Indo-Greek Kingdom, king of the Eucratid Dynasty, who reigned from his capital at Taxila. Bopearachchi has suggested that he ruled from ca.115 to 95 BCE in the parts of the Indo-Greek realms. Senior places him around 130 to 120 BCE and also in eastern Punjab, senior does however believe that he ruled i

Antiochus VIII Grypus
–
Antiochus VIII Epiphanes/Callinicus/Philometor, nicknamed Grypus, was crowned as ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom in 125 BC. He was the son of Demetrius II Nicator and Cleopatra Thea, the child Antiochus Epiphanes, who is known from coins, was deposed—but not killed—when Demetrius II was restored in 129 BC. Antiochus Grypus was crowned as a teen

2.
Coin of Antiochus VIII Grypus. Reverse: god Sandan standing on the horned lion, in his pyre surmounted by an eagle.

Antiochus IX Cyzicenus
–
Antiochus IX Eusebes Cyzicenus, ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom, was the son of Antiochus VII Sidetes and Cleopatra Thea. After the death of his mother Cleopatra Thea ca.118 BCE, Antiochus IX Cyzicenus challenged his half-brother, Antiochus VIII Grypus, for power of Syria. Antiochus IX Cyzicenus was first married to Cleopatra IV, who was killed

Antiochus I Theos of Commagene
–
Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellen was an Armenian king from the Kingdom of Commagene and the most famous king of that kingdom. The ruins of the tomb-sanctuary of Antiochus atop Mount Nemrut in Turkey were named to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987, several sandstone bas reliefs discovered at the site contain some of

2.
Statues of gods and the pyramid-like tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus Theos of Commagene rising behind, atop Mount Nemrut

Antiochus XII Dionysus
–
Antiochus XII Dionysus, a ruler of the Greek Seleucid kingdom who reigned 87–84 BC. Antiochus XII was the son of Antiochus VIII Grypus and Tryphaena to take up the diadem. He succeeded his brother Demetrius III Eucaerus as separatist ruler of the parts of the last remaining Seleucid realms, basically Damascus. Antiochus initially gained support fro

1.
Seleucid coin of Antiochus XII, with a cult statue of Hadad on its reverse.

Herod Antipas
–
He is best known today for accounts in the New Testament of his role in events that led to the executions of John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. He was responsible for building projects at Sepphoris and Betharamphtha, named in honor of his patron, the emperor Tiberius, the city later became a center of rabbinic learning. Antipas divorced his fi

1.
Coin of Herod Antipas

2.
Herod (Hérode), by French painter and Bible illustrator James Tissot, in the Brooklyn Museum

3.
Jesus before Herod Antipas, Albrecht Dürer, 1509

Apollodotus II
–
Apollodotus II was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the western and eastern parts of Punjab. Apollodotos II was an important ruler who seems to have re-established the Indo-Greek kingdom to some extent of its former glory, Taxila in western Punjab was reconquered from nomad Scythian rule, and according to Bopearachchi, eastern territory was taken ba

Apollophanes
–
Apollophanes Soter was an Indo-Greek king in the area of eastern and central Punjab in modern India and Pakistan. Little is known about him, except for some of his remaining coins, the dating is Osmund Bopearachchis, but R. C. Senior suggests approximately the same dates, earlier scholars, such as Professor Ahmed Hasan Dani, W. W. He may have been

Archebius
–
Archebius Dikaios Nikephoros was an Indo-Greek king who ruled in the area of Taxila. Osmund Bopearachchi dates him to c, senior to about the same period. He was probably one of the last Indo-Greek kings before the Saka king Maues conquered Taxila, and he may have been a relative of Heliokles II, who used a similar reverse and also the title Dikaios

Archelaus of Cappadocia
–
Archelaus was a Roman client prince and the last king of Cappadocia. Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent and his full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. Archelaus’ father served as the High Priest

Herod Archelaus
–
He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace the Samaritan, and was the brother of Herod Antipas, and the half-brother of Herod Philip I. Archelaus came to power after the death of his father Herod the Great in 4 BC, Josephus writes that Herod the Great was in Jericho at the time of his death. Just prior to his trip to Jericho, he was deeply invo

Aretas IV Philopatris
–
Aretas IV Philopatris was the King of the Nabataeans from roughly 9 BCE to CE40. Aretas came to power after the assassination of Obodas III, who was apparently poisoned, josephus says that he was originally named Aeneas, but took Aretas as his throne name. An inscription from Petra suggests that he may have been a member of the royal family and his

Aretas III
–
Aretas III /ˈærᵻtəs/ was king of the Nabataean kingdom from 87 to 62 BCE. Aretas ascended to the throne upon the death of his brother, Obodas I, during his reign, he extended his kingdom to cover what now forms the northern area of Jordan, the south of Syria, and part of Saudi Arabia. Probably the greatest of Aretas conquests was that of Damascus,

1.
Aretas III commissioned the first silver Nabataean coins. He ordered that his name appear in Greek, rather than Nabataean Aramaic.

Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia
–
Ariobarzanes I, named Philoromaios, was the king of Cappadocia from 95 BC to c.63 BC–62 BC. Ariobarzanes I was a Cappadocian nobleman of obscure origins who was of Persian descent and he eventually abdicated, making way for the rule of his son Ariobarzanes II of Cappadocia in c.63 BC–62 BC. Ariobarzanes I married a Greek woman, whom he had as his q

1.
References [edit]

Artavasdes II of Armenia
–
Artavasdes II was a King of the Kingdom of Armenia from 54 BC until 34 BC and a member of the Artaxiad Dynasty. He succeeded his father, Tigranes the Great, also known as Tigranes II and he gave his sister in marriage to Orodes son and heir Pacorus. In 36 BC the Roman General Mark Antony invaded Armenia and Artavasdes II again switched sides, in 34

1.
A tetradrachm of Artavasdes II bearing his bust

Antiochus XIII Asiaticus
–
Antiochus XIII Philadelphus, known as Asiaticus was one of the last rulers of the Macedonian Seleucid kingdom. He was son of king Antiochus X Eusebes and the Ptolemaic princess Cleopatra Selene I, some time after Tigranes had conquered Syria, she traveled to Rome to have her sons recognized as kings of Egypt, but to no avail. They were there betwee

1.
Coin of Antiochus XIII.

Azilises
–
Azilises was an Indo-Scythian king who ruled in the area of Gandhara. Azilises issued some joint coins with Azes, where Azes is presented as king on the obverse, yuezhi Greco-Bactrian Kingdom Indo-Greek Kingdom Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire The Shape of Ancient Thought. Comparative studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies by Thomas McEvilley

1.
Azilises on horse, wearing a tunic, with Greek legend "BASILEOS BASILEON MEGALOY AZOY": "The great King of Kings Azilises".

Demetrius III Aniketos
–
Demetrius III Aniketos is an Indo-Greek king who reigned in the area of Gandhara and Punjab. The coins of Demetrius III are few and rather crude and he copies some of his imagery from the renowned Bactrian king Demetrius I. The two namesakes share the war-like epithet The Invincible and wear elephant-crowns, the symbol that Alexander the Great used

Diomedes Soter
–
Diomedes Soter was an Indo-Greek king. The places where his coins have been found seem to indicate that his rule was based in the area of the Paropamisadae, Diomedes depicted the Dioscurion his coins, either on horseback or standing, both types were previously used by Eucratides I. It is however uncertain how the two were related, since Eucratides

1.
Coin of king Nicias (c. 90–85 BCE) Obv: Bust of Nicias with Greek legend BASILEOS SOTEROS NIKIOU "Of Saviour King Nicias". Rev: King in armour, holding a palm of victory in his left hand, and making a gesture of benediction with his right hand, similar to the Buddhist vitarka mudra. Kharoshti legend MAHARAJA TRATARASA NIKIASA "Saviour King Nicias".